(Newser)
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Another tangible sign of Detroit's bleak finances: The mayor today said the city's unionized workers must take a 10% pay cut along with reduced health care benefits, reports the Detroit Free Press. The unions promise a court fight, but Dave Bing says the in-the-red city has no choice but to impose the changes, which are expected to save more than $100 million a year. The city council tried to block the move yesterday, but the state has given Bing more authority to take such action because of the city's financial trouble.

Bing: “This is a tough day for me; a tough day for city workers, and a tough day for all Detroiters. However, it’s a necessary day.”

Detroit's CFO Jack Martin: “We have to do this. We know it’s painful on our employees, but this allows us to fix the problem in an orderly manner. If we do nothing, there will be chaos.”

Union leader: "I'm not surprised, but I don't think it will hold up," one tells the Detroit News. "Quickness to do it is another example of (Bing's) mean-spiritedness. This will have to be resolved in the courts and we'll see how that plays out."

The city workers HAVE GIVEN BACK THIRTY PER CENT ALREADY!!!! PLUS furlough days !!!! AND reduced benefits!!! The UNION WORKERS are taking the pay cuts and the salary appointees keep their BLOATED SALARIES !!! It boils down to the union workers get screwed as usual and the SALARIED APPOINTEES KEEP THEIR SALARIES!!!!

RinoHunter

Jul 18, 2012 6:33 PM CDT

Slash implies a major cut like Scranton did to it's city workers by cutting them all down to minimum wage. A 10% cut is not a slash, it's a nick.